Recently in Audio Category
Monster seems to be cornering the market on rap moguls. The company just announced Diddybeats, which will add Sean "Diddy" Combs to the Monster family.
The new in-ear headphone line will be produced under the Monster and Beats by Dre umbrella, which is the company's joint effort with another music mega-mogul, Dr. Dre.
Adorned with the db moniker, the set promises high-end audio with Monster's own hands-free ControlTalk technology.
Best Buy will have the exclusive on Diddybeats -- at least to start. The retailer has already started taking pre-orders, with plans to deliver Diddybeats to stores on March 28.
Years ago, we purchased noise-cancelling headphones from a very well known manufacturer. They were (and still are) a few hundred bucks. Now, we really can't put a price on blocking out plane chatter. However, Audio-Technica sure can -- and we like the price they're quoting us.
The company just announced the new ATH-ANC25 QuietPoint noise-cancelling on-ear headphones. The company says it should block 80 percent of crying babies, as well as the sounds of planes, trains and automobiles. Each earpiece has tiny microphones to sense the sounds -- and then block 'em.
While we love the whole Fantastic Voyage thing for our headset, what we truly can't resist is the $99.95 price tag. Expect the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC25 headphones to start selling next month.
OK -- takes more than 2 minutes to install speakers. In fact, I think it takes more than 2 minutes to take speakers out of the box. However, HiFi House and HTSA got together and made this nifty little video. It doesn't really explain the ins and outs of speaker installation, but it gives a nice overview of what you might be in for with an in-wall install. Enjoy! -- Rachel Cericola
Nothing says junior high like a turntable. Aah -- the smell of the Pop Rocks and fresh vinyl.
The Stanton T.55 USB turntable will send you scrambling for your Thriller album. The beauty of this $199 beast is that it allows you to transfer that old music to your newest media. Create CDs or MP3s via any PC or Mac.
Don't worry about snaps, crackles and pops, either -- unless you count the candy. Included software helps remove some of those sounds, and the unit's straight tone arm should take care of the rest. -- Rachel Cericola
Sony just announced its latest, greatest Walkman. Remember those?
Yeah, they still make 'em. Apparently, they've come a long way from your old bulky cassette player, too. The latest is called the X-series. It also goes by the NWZ-X1000. Both of those names are lame, but it's what's on the inside (and outside) that counts.
This new model will come packing a 3-inch OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) touchscreen, as well as Wi-Fi content. They also seem to have content deals with both Slacker and YouTube, because God forbid you be without cute kitty videos for five minutes.
Sony is now accepting pre-orders for the X-series Walkman, with delivery expected around mid-June. 16GB of fun will cost you $299; you can double that capacity for $100 more. -- Rachel Cericola
If your floor is like mine, there is too much clutter for new A/V components. For those smaller, messier spaces, Bell'O has created the BWS-101.
This piece of furniture allows you to showcase all of your A/V equipment, without the worry of someone resting a drink on anything. Choose between one or two shelves; then stuff them with up to 50 pounds of electronic goodness. The unit even has a cable management system to keep any new clutter to a minimum.
The BWS-101 will run a very respectable $300. Come and get it (from your local dealer) starting this July. -- Rachel Cericola
Via Bell'O
Days after Apple announced its super-duper iPod shuffle, Monster is all about making its own declaration -- that they will soon accessorize.
Apple's latest and lightest iPod adds VoiceOver, a new feature that will announce song titles, artists, playlist names, and even the status of battery life. Monster plans to add an on-cord controller for customers that want to use their headphones with the portable.
Judging by the announcement, Monster may actually add this feature to some of its existing products. Of course, there should be new models coming as well. If you already have a pair of Monster headphones, don't junk 'em -- they will also have an adapter. Everyone's happy!
There's no exact release date, but Monster plans to have products ready within the next few months. -- Rachel Cericola
VUDU is the set-top that will not die. Good for them. In the latest effort to keep up with the countless other streaming services, they have announced support for Pandora web radio.
Nothing says fun like using your TV for music. Seriously though, it's a nice little freebie. VUDU has added other free services, such as YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, and others to its feature set. That way you won't always feel like the box is bleeding you dry.
One nifty thing about the app is that it offers multiple accounts, so you won't be subjective to some of the family's "favorites." The software update is available now. -- Rachel Cericola
Hot on the heels of news that NiceMac was dropping its StarPlayr app, Sirius XM has decided that they will pick up the slack -- and soon offer a Sirius XM application for the iPhone. Isn't it nice how things work out?
There had been rumors that a satellite radio app was in the works, but it seemed that NiceMac was going to beat the actual service to the punch. NiceMac got tired of waiting, and decided to drop their efforts. Was the little guy muscled out of the action?
Either way, Twice says that the new Sirius XM app is expected in Q2. Of course, it will stream the satellite radio service to both iPhones and iPod touch devices. Of course, there's no word on what the app might cost. However, the company is hoping this will boost profits, since car sales are currently hovering around the rim of the toilet.
Sirius XM just closed a deal with Liberty Media for $530 million. Maybe the app fees won't be so bad. After all, an estimated $280 million of that will go to killing off the company's debt. -- Rachel Cericola
[Photo courtesy of Philip Ryan Johnson]
Last year's buzzword was "green." It looks like this year, everyone's gear will go on a budget. That's the case with Onkyo's new A/V receiver line, which starts at a mere $300.
The big deal with these units is that they will include every A/V technology under the sun, including Dolby, DTS, Audyssey and Faroudja. However, there are throwing in Dolby's latest and greatest, ProLogic IIz processing, on the TX-SR607.
Onkyo says it's "over-the-top." If that's the case, then why the hell do we need it? I guess because it's there and it's supposed to be the ultimate. That ultimate includes boasting 7.2-channel features with six HDMI inputs and one front-panel HDMI input.
Still, the prices aren't too shabby. The TX-SR307 and TX-SR507 won't get the ProLogic IIz goodies, but they will only be $299 and $399, respectively. Those will hit in March, with the TX-SR607 coming in April for $599. -- Rachel Cericola
Yesterday, we were hawking Klipsch's new "recession-proof" speaker sets. Now, like QVC, we are back with a vengeance, and a new product geared towards those that have concerns about both budget and space.
Today, the manufacturer announced two tiny headphone sets that have also been thrown into the budget-busting category. The Image S4 and S2 each boast noise-cancellation qualities, so you don't have to listen to people yapping on the subway, in the office, or on a plane.
I am not crazy about in-ear headphones, but these supposedly have patent-pending tips to make them feel like two super-plush Q-Tips.
The S4 will be available starting next month, with the S2 coming in July. Both will include three different-sized ear tips, with the S4 packing a cleaning tool (ew) and an aluminum case. Priced at $79 and $49 respectively, they should be available at various retail locations, with Amazon kicking off orders later this month. -- Rachel Cericola
You may not have money to eat, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have speakers. Haven't you suffered enough? Well, Klipsch wants you to have both, so they've put together three "recession-proof" speaker sets that can deliver 5.1 sound even in your poorest moments.
If you haven't made it to Ramen noodles yet, check out the $900 HD Theater 1000 There's also the middle-of-the-road 500 ($600), and the super-cheap 300 ($400). I got my sweaty mitts on the 500. Check out the review over at Wired.com. -- Rachel Cericola
A few weeks back, Howard Stern was giving props to an iPhone app called StarPlayr. Howard talks about a lot of products (he has a lot of time to kill), but this one sort of caught my ear, because it put satellite radio capabilities on the popular portable.
Despite Sirius XM nickel-and-diming all of its subscribers as of late, this seemed like a good idea -- seemed being the operative word. TUAW says that idea is as dead as the resurgence of disco.
Maybe that's because NiceMac just announced they are packing up and moving on. Apparently, they weren't approved or rejected by Apple; they just got tired of waiting.
NiceMac currently has a message on its website offering refunds to Windows Mobile customers. Get it while the gettin's good. -- Rachel Cericola
Not everyone has an installer on speed dial and a fat checkbook. Shawn Lyman didn't need those things. Armed with a dream, this DIYer built a pretty snazzy home theater for under $2,300.
Without a doubt, my favorite part of the room is the homemade removable risers. "I don't plan on living in this house forever and if the next owner doesn't want to purchase the theater with the house, I wanted an easy way to remove everything about the theater in the shortest time possible," Shawn says. Not sure what kind of person wouldn't want this awesome room, but that's awfully thoughtful of him. "I estimate a single weekend room restore with zero impact on flooring or the riser."
Click on over to ElectronicHouse.com for the full story on Shawn's theater, as well as additional photos.
Now Hear This: NHT is going bye-bye.
Well, according to the audio maker, it's not the end of the line; it just sounds that way. Earlier this week, the company sent out an email stating that March 31, 2009 would be its last day for doing business.
Don't expect a fire sale, either. The company also said that it was selling all of its stock to existing dealers and distributors. Then they would finishing paying bills and close up shop.
They also made the point of stating that the company was not bankrupt. Not sure if it even matters, but maybe they just don't want to go out with the same carnage that Tweeter left behind.
The company sounds like they plan to come back at some other time, possibly in another form. For now, you can still expect customer and repair services, as well as any warranties and the website, to remain intact.
CE Pro has the entire email that was released earlier this week. -- Rachel Cericola